Arizona Copper Company, Library Hall, Coronado Blouevard, Clifton

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ARIZ,6-CLIFT,9D-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Associated with the Arizona Copper Company's holdings in Clifton and with the development of Clifton. Description: The ACC Library Building is sited between Frisco Street and Coronado boulevard (Arizona Highway near the Park Avenue Bridge (AZ-179). The site is barren except for the building and an asphalt-paved parking lot at the south side. The building is constructed of stuccoed brick, two stories in height with a gable roof. Half-timbering in the gabies and at the second floor of the south front reflects the Scottish ancestry of its builders. THe south gable end also features decorative brackets and vergeboards. The original windows are wood, double-hung, with a two-over-two pattern. The roof is sheathed with modern asphalt shingles.

A one-story, flat-roofed addition has been made to the west side, and a second, shed-roofed addition was made to the north back. The first floor of the original building was altered when this addition was made. The front facade has been covered over by a modern canopy. A modern steel exit stair from the second floor has been added to the side of the building. History: This large two-story brick and stucco building was constructed in by the Arizona Copper Company to house the town library and post office on the first floor and the Masonic Lodge on the second floor. The Masonic Lodge then sublet the hall to other fraternal organizations such as the Elks and the Knights of Pythias. Of these, the Elks became most closely associated with the building and it is also known as the Elks Lodge.

The Company donated the books for the library and then turned it over to a committee of local citizens to run. The Library Hail was also noteworthy as the site of the annual dinner given by A.C. Co. general Manager James Colquhoun and other events of a social nature.1 In the A.C. Company re-furbished the old library and lodge building by making repairs and improving the stairway, in March of the Company announced that it would relocate its drug department into the Library Hail. The entire first floor of the building would be converted to sale of medicines and jewelry with the addition of a large giass display window. The Company also planned to place a soda fountain in a prominent location in the building.

Farahay took over operation of the new drug store in July of In later years the building housed a branch of the Phelps Dodge Mercantile Co. and in recent years the store has been occupied by the American Legion Post and Vozza's Steakhouse.2 ARIZONA COPPER COMPAQ LIBRARY HALL (ELKS1 LODGE) HABS No. AZ-m-Q (Page 2) Sources (endnotes): 1. The Mining and Industrial Reporter, Volume XV (December P. 20; Arizona Republican (Phoenix newspaper) March and September (I, Copper Era January 2. Copper Era October March 2); June 3); interview with Charles A. Spezia, December The old drug store in South Clifton was razed and the lumber salvaged. It was constructed in as Clifton's first school building, later housed a church, and in the A.C. Co, drug department moved in. See the Copper Era August 3).